On September 21^st, 1999, Japanese readers picked up the 43^rd issue of Weekly Shonen Jump and were treated to a new story that would become one of the most popular manga series in the world.

Written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto told the story of a young, orphaned wannabe ninja named Naruto Uzumaki who had grandiose dreams of taking the top-ranked shinobi role in his village. Seen as a goofball at first and reviled for the demon spirit trapped inside his body, Naruto’s adventure was long and challenging, pairing him with the jealous Sakura Haruno and mysterious Sasuke Uchiha, all under the masterful supervision of the feared Kakashi Hatake.

Serialization of the Naruto manga ended on November 10^th, 2014 and resulted in 72 published volumes (in North America, Viz Media holds the license to publish the English-translated version). It was adapted into two anime shows: Naruto and then Naruto: Shippuden, with a combined 720 episodes at its finish. Naruto’s popularity increased with animated films, OVA’s, video games, theme parks, merchandise, stage plays, concerts and more, much to the delight of fans worldwide.

Even though Naruto has ended, the characters continue with Boruto: Naruto Next Generations — a sequel about Naruto’s son Boruto — written by Masashi Kishimoto and illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto.

So, here’s what Shueisha has kicked off the Naruto 25^th anniversary with.

Anniversary video

Follow Naruto’s journey from just a student to becoming the Hokage and then father. The video animates key scenes from the manga, his friends, major battles and the challenges of leading his village.

Minato one-shot free to read

In early 2023, Shueisha held a global popularity poll of which Naruto character was their favourite. The winning character would then get special one-shot manga drawn and written by Masashi Kishimoto. In the end, Minato Namikaze ranked first and Kishimoto kept his promise with the creation of Naruto: The Whorl Within The Spiral. The short story is free to read on the Official Naruto website, but only until October 13^th, 2024.

Hit Naruto video game arrives on mobile devices

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, the first title in the Ultimate Ninja Storm video game series from Bandai Namco Entertainment, arrives on Apple iOS and Android smart phones starting Tuesday, September 24^th, 2024 and is priced at $12.99 USD.

Wander the Village Hidden in the Leaves to play mini-games or head straight into battle with one of 25 characters (and 10 support characters) in an upgraded retelling of Naruto Uzumaki’s story.

New features include auto-save, battle control modes, improved controls, mission retry option, upgraded user interfaces in mini-games, and new tutorials. The game is single-player only, so there’s no online battles or tournaments with other players.

More 25^th anniversary projects are expected and will be shared when they become available.

Sources: Naruto Official

©1999 by Masashi Kishimoto/ SHUEISHA Inc.
©2002 Masashi Kishimoto
©Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.

 

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